Acelity company KCI and Highmark have entered into a performance-based agreement for the KCI iOn PROGRESS remote therapy monitoring program which intends to enhance the entire patient experience, while decreasing costs via increased engagement and adherence.
Image: KCI has entered into negative pressure wound therapy agreement with Highmark. Photo: courtesy of rawpixel / Unsplash.
Used in conjunction with the ACTIV.A.C. Therapy System, iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring Program consists of 3 key components:
Monitoring: A proprietary remote monitoring module attached to the ACTIV.A.C. Therapy device enables secure transmission of therapy data to KCI.
Engagement: A highly trained team of KCI Virtual Therapy Specialists (VTS) analyze the data and interact directly with patients and healthcare professionals to support adherence.
Adherence: 73% of patients demonstrated an increase in hours of NPWT use per day following an adherence call from a Virtual Therapy Specialist. A lower average 90-day wound-related cost was associated with those receiving remote therapy monitoring.
The agreement is the first-of-its-kind for negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and creates a performance-based payment structure for reducing total wound care costs.
The partnership is a result of a diligent evaluation process by Highmark to understand how the iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring Program impacts its members in alignment with their commitment to improve quality while lowering total cost of care.
Highmark ancillary provider strategy and management VP Robert Wanovich said: “The collaboration and agreement with KCI is just the latest example of Highmark’s commitment to working with providers in the health care industry to make sure our members receive high-quality care at an affordable price.”
KCI president and CEO Andrew Eckert said: “Since introducing the iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring System two years ago, we have learned a great deal about our NPWT patients through their engagements with our Virtual Therapy Specialist team – all of which have helped us develop and improve an impactful solution.”
“Our aim is to create value across the continuum of wound care and iOn PROGRESS™ Remote Therapy Monitoring allows us to pursue that by better understanding each patient’s wound care journey. This unique insight allows us to engage patients and their caregivers like no other and better assist them through the healing process, which leads to better therapy adherence and ultimately, better outcomes and reduced costs.”
In October, KCI reached a milestone of 10,000 patients monitored using iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring and in November, showcased the program at SAWC Fall, providing clinicians an inside look at the patients’ experience using NPWT through a poster presentation and interactive booth experience.
The ACTIV.A.C. Therapy System with iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring is the first system to remotely monitor therapy usage for patients prescribed NPWT in the home. It monitors therapy adherence and securely transmits data to the KCI iOn PROGRESS Care Network, a group of highly-trained individuals who interact with patients to drive adherence.
Recent studies show 79% of NPWT patients require an adherence call from a KCI VTS during their NPWT episode and the average increase in NPWT the day following an adherence call is 104%.
Source: Company Press Release.